Integral type air conditioner and air guide structure thereof

ABSTRACT

An integral type air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner has a lower air guide in which a plurality of fans are installed such that wind channels generated by the respective fans do not have influence on each other. The air conditioner also has an upper air guide which allows air discharged from the lower air guide to be discharged through one of a plurality of paths to the outside.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-63981, filed on Sep. 16, 2003 and Korean Patent Application No. 2003-69979, filed on Oct. 8, 2003 which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air guide structure formed in an integral type air conditioner, for guiding the intake and discharge of inner air and an air conditioner employing the air guide structure. In particular, the present invention is directed to an air guide in which air flow is adjustable in multiple directions.

2. Description of the Related Art

In a general integral type air conditioner, since an indoor unit part and an outdoor unit part are constructed as a single body thereby making a long hose unnecessary and accordingly, making installation and transportation, etc. convenient, their demand is increasing. Further, the indoor unit part is disposed indoors to cool air, and the outdoor unit part is disposed outdoors to cool hot working fluid.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a related integral type air conditioner. Construction and operation of the related integral type air conditioner will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

The air conditioner includes a base panel 1 formed on a bottom surface of the air conditioner; an indoor unit part formed indoors to cool indoor air; and an outdoor unit part formed outdoors to exhaust hot air.

The indoor unit part includes a front grill 3 formed on an indoor front surface of the base panel 1; an intake grill 4 formed on a front surface of the front grill 3; an indoor heat exchanger 5 formed at an inner side of the front grill 3; an air guide 7 formed at an inner side of the indoor heat exchanger 5; a scroll 9 formed at an inner side of the air guide 7; an inflow guide 11 formed at a front surface of the scroll 9 that corresponds with the indoor heat exchanger 5; and an indoor fan 13 formed within the scroll 9.

A detailed description of the construction and operation of the indoor unit part is presented below.

At a lower side of the front grill 3, an intake part 31 is formed as a passage through which indoor air is introduced. At an upper side of the front grill 3, a discharge grill 32 is formed which allows air heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 5 to be again discharged toward the indoors.

The indoor heat exchanger 5 is disposed at an inner side of the front grill 3. The indoor heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat between air which enters through the intake part 31, and the working fluid.

The air guide 7 functions to partition the air conditioner into indoor and outdoor portions. Accordingly, indoor cool air is shielded from outdoor hot air by the air guide 7. Further, a brace 8 is formed at an upper stage of the air guide 7, which connects with a shroud 18 to described below.

A flow guide surface 91 is formed within the scroll 9. As may be seen in FIG. 1, the flow guide surface 91 has a curvature from one side to the other side, to guide a smooth flow of the indoor air. Further, an orifice 11 includes an orifice hole 12 which guides indoor air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 5 into an indoor fan 13. The orifice 11 also has a discharge guide 111 formed at an upper stage of the orifice 11 to guide heat-exchanged air into a discharge grill 32.

The indoor fan 13 intakes indoor air through the intake part 3.1, the indoor heat exchanger 5 and the orifice hole 12. Additionally, the indoor fan 13, which is a centrifugal fan, intakes air through the orifice hole 12, and then blows the air in a centrifugal direction. The outlet air from the indoor fan 13 is guided along the flow guide surface 91 to flow into the discharge guide 111.

The above description is for the indoor unit part of the integral type air conditioner. A construction and operation of the outdoor unit part partitioned from the indoor unit part by the air guide 7 will be henceforth described below.

The outdoor unit part includes a motor 15 formed outside of the air guide 7; and a blower fan 17 fixed to an outdoor rotor axis of the motor 15. The outdoor unit part also has a shroud 18 formed on the base panel 1 to guide an air stream formed by the blower fan 17; an outdoor heat exchanger 19 formed at the outdoor base panel 1 to face with the shroud 18; and an outer case 21 for forming an outershell of the air conditioner.

The motor 15 protrudes such that two rotation axis of the motor 15 face each other. One side of the rotation axis passes through the air guide 7 and extends to a center of the scroll 9, thereby rotating the indoor fan 13. Additionally, the other side of the rotation axis is formed at the blower fan 17 which results in an outdoor airflow. The blower fan 17 further includes a ring 171 which connects its wing ends with one another.

The shroud 18 includes a passage hole 181 within which the blower fan 17 is positioned. Further, the shroud 18 guides external intake air by the blower fan 17, and forces the flow of outdoor air towards the outdoor heat exchanger 19. The shroud 18 connects to both side ends of the outdoor heat exchanger 19, and is supported by the brace 8 at an upper stage.

The outdoor heat exchanger 19 allows heat to be exchanged between external, intake air and the operation fluid of an air conditioning cycle.

A compressor 20 is disposed as a structural element of the air conditioning cycle on the base panel 1 between the air guide 7 and the shroud 18. On the base panel 11 a compressor mounting part 10 on which the compressor 20 is mounted is formed.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a usage state of a related art air conditioner.

Referring to FIG. 2, when the air conditioner begins operation, an indoor unit part introduces air through the intake part 31 disposed at a lower side surface of the front grill 3. The indoor unit part then cools the introduced air and outputs the cooled air back indoors through the discharge grill 32 disposed at an upper surface of the front grill 3. Further, the outdoor unit part intakes air through the passage hole of the outer circumference surface of the outer case 20. Heat-exchange then occurs with the air from the outdoor unit part and the heat-exchanged air exits towards the outdoors through another passage hole provided on a rear surface of the outer case 20. In the drawings, arrows represent the airflow.

However, the above-described related art integral type air conditioner has the following drawbacks. The related art air guide has a structure adapted for a single indoor fan and a single motor installed therein. Thus, if two or more indoor fans and motors are employed within the air guide, the air flow is not smooth. Also, since the air flow direction is limited to a single direction, air flow may not be directed in other directions. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an integral type air conditioner and air guide structure that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air guide of an integral type air conditioner, which is adapted when the air conditioner is provided with a plurality of fans.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an air guide of an integral type air conditioner in which air can be discharged in a plurality of directions to thereby enhancing convenience.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an air guide structure for an integral type air conditioner, comprising: a lower air guide provided with a plurality of indoor fan receiving parts receiving an indoor fan and a side plate formed at both ends of the lower air guide, for guiding air; and an upper air guide for selectively guiding the air discharged from the lower air guide to a plurality of paths.

In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an integral type air conditioner comprising: a compressor; an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between a working fluid circulated by the compressor and an external air; a fan for forcibly generating air flow in the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger; a motor for providing a rotational force to rotate the fan; a cabinet forming an appearance of the air conditioner; a lower air guide including a partitioning plate for partitioning the air conditioner into an indoor part and an outdoor part, and left and right barriers longitudinally formed on at least one place of a front surface of the partitioning plate in up and down directions, for suppressing the interaction of air flow due to the fans; and an upper air guide for guiding the air discharged from the lower air guide to an outdoor place.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an integral type air conditioner comprising: a compressor; indoor heat exchanger and outdoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between a working fluid circulated by the compressor and an external air; fans for forcibly generating air flow in the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger; a motor for providing a rotational force to rotate the fans; a cabinet forming an appearance of the air conditioner; a front panel disposed in front of the cabinet and a discharge hole through which air is discharged into an indoor space; a discharge door for opening and closing the discharge hole; a door opening/closing means for allowing the discharge door to be opened or closed by a user's manipulation; a lower air guide including a partitioning plate for partitioning the air conditioner into an indoor unit part and an outdoor unit part, and left and right barriers formed long in upward and downward directions at at least one portion of a front portion of the partitioning plate, for suppressing interaction of air flow due to the fans; and an upper air guide for guiding the air discharged from the lower air guide in at least two directions.

According to the air guide structure of the present invention, if two or more fans and motor are installed, air flow may be guided without a loss of wind amount.

Also, since the air flow direction is controllable in two or more directions, convenience is improved.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a related art integral type air conditioner;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a usage state of a related art air conditioner;

FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway perspective view of an integral type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a front panel in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates an appearance structure of an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an upper air guide in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a lower air guide in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow of air guided by an air guide in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention, showing an operation of when an air cleaning function is not performed; and

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of an integral type air conditioner illustrating an air cleaning function according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway perspective view of an integral type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an integral type air conditioner includes a base panel 100 forms a bottom of the air conditioner, a cabinet 700 that encloses the air conditioner and various parts of a heat exchange cycle, an indoor unit part within the cabinet 700 through which warm air enters and cool air exhausts, and an outdoor unit art within the outdoor unit part of the cabinet 700 that cools a working fluid.

Hereinafter, the construction of the indoor unit part will be described. In the air conditioner according to the present invention, the construction of the indoor unit part includes a front panel 200 disposed at a front most end of the air conditioner that forms the outershell structure of the front side and a discharge door 230 arranged at a rear side of the front panel 200. The discharge door 230 selectively opens and closes the discharge part of the front panel. The indoor unit part also has an air guide 300 arranged on the base panel 100 that partitions the air conditioner into the indoor unit part and the outdoor unit part. The air guide includes an upper air guide 350 and a lower air guide 310 in order to guide air flow in the indoor unit part. In addition, the indoor unit part has an inner base plate 320 integrally formed at a lower portion of the lower air guide 310 with the lower air guide 310. The indoor unit part also has left and right barriers 312 formed on a central portion of a front surface of the lower air guide 310 in an upper and lower direction and a discharge passage 352 formed in a front side of the upper air guide 350. The discharge passage 352 guides cooled air discharged from an indoor fan 420 to the front panel 200. Further, the air guide has a filter installation part 360 upwardly protruding on the upper air guide 350 and a control box 380 installed at a right side of the upper air guide 350. The control box 380 controls the operation of the air conditioner. An indoor heat exchanger 400 is also arranged in a front side of the air guide 300 for cooling inner air, Moreover, the indoor unit has an inflow guide 410 formed between the indoor heat exchanger 400 and the air guide 300. The inflow guide 410 forms an inflow path of air. An indoor fan 420 is also arranged inside the lower air guide 310 in order to cause an indoor air flow. Additionally, the indoor unit comprises a fan motor 450 arranged at a rear side of the indoor fan 420. The fan motor 450 rotates the indoor fan 420.

The construction of the outdoor unit part will now be described. The construction of the outdoor unit part includes a shroud 500 arranged a predetermined distance in a rear side from the air guide 300. The shroud 500 guides an air flow in the outdoor unit part. The outdoor unit part also has an outdoor fan equipped in a through hole 502 of the shroud 500. The outdoor fan forcibly blows an outdoor air in order to heat exchange. Additionally, the outdoor unit allows for an outdoor heat exchanger 550 arranged in a rear side of the shroud 500 and a compressor 560 mounted on the base panel 100 of the outdoor unit part. In this embodiment, the outdoor heat exchangers 550 and the compressor 550 are a heat exchange cycle. The outdoor unit also comprises a rear panel 600 arranged in a rear side of the outdoor heat exchanger 550 which discharges heat-exchanged hot air.

In the integral type air conditioner according to the present invention, the construction of the indoor unit part will be described in more detail. The front panel 200 includes a front inhaling part 210 formed at a lower side of the front panel 200. The front inhaling part 210 intakes air from a space to be air conditioned to the indoor side of the air conditioner. The front panel 200 also has a discharge part 220 formed at an upper side of the front panel 200 which discharges heat-exchanged air into the space. The heat-exchanged air can selectively be discharged through either the aforementioned discharge part 220 or the filter installation part 0.360. Alternatively, a filter may be installed inside the filter installation part 360 to filter foreign particles in the discharged air.

The discharge part 220 may also be formed at both sides of the front panel 200. To further illustrate, a side inhaling part 215 may be formed at both side ends of the front panel 200. In an embodiment having the side inhaling part 215, cooling of a space may occur by discharging cool air in a side direction relative to the front side of the air conditioning unit. Furthermore, this embodiment enhances the appearance of the air conditioner. The side inhaling part 215 may either be formed with or separately from the front inhaling part 210. Also, the front side of the front panel 200 may have a convex configuration, further enhancing the appearance of the air conditioner.

At the rear side of the front panel 200, the air conditioner has a discharge door 230 which selectively opens and closes the discharge part 220. The discharge door 230 selectively opens or closes the discharge part 220 by sliding in an upward direction and a downward direction.

At the front end of the discharge part 220, a discharge guide member 222 which guides a discharge direction of the discharged air is further provided.

At the rear surface of the front panel 200, the air conditioning unit has a door opening/closing means. The door opening/closing means opens and closes the discharge door 230 in an upward direction or a downward direction. The door opening/closing means is shown in FIG. 5 and will be described further on.

The inner base plate 320 protrudes from the lower side of the lower air guide 310 in the front direction and corresponds to the front end of the base panel 100. The inner base plate 320 is also fixed to the base panel 100. An upper portion of the inner base plate 320 corresponds to a portion where water condensed by the indoor heat exchanger 400 collects and exhausts to an outdoor space. The inner base plate 320 has a guide rib 321 at the upper portion which collects the condensed water.

The lower air guide 310 has a left and right barrier 312 at the front center portion which extends longitudinally relative to the lower air guide 310. To further illustrate, the left and right barrier 312 protrudes frontward from the front center portion of the lower air guide 310. The left and right barrier 312 partitions a front space of the lower air guide 310 into a left space and a right space. The indoor fans 420 and the motors 450 are arranged at the left side and the right side of the lower guide 310. Thus, the left and right barrier 312 is disposed along the center of gravity of the left and right barrier 312. In addition, the wind amounts by the respective indoor fans 420 can be formed independently.

Indoor fan installation grooves 314 are formed in both portions of the lower air guide 310. The size of indoor fan installation grooves 314 correspond to the diameter of the indoor fan 420. Additionally, a circumference of the installation groove 314 protrudes toward the front side by a predetermined portion.

The discharge passage 352 protrudes by a predetermined portion from the rear end of the upper air guide 350 toward the front side. Also, a front end of the discharge passage 352 corresponds to a discharge part 220 of the front panel 200.

On the upper air guide 350, a filter installation part 360 protrudes in an upward direction. A high performance filter 370 which filters the air discharged into the indoor space is mounted on the filter installation part 360 from an upper side.

The high performance filter 370 is a high efficiency filter with the same filtering capacitance as a filter used in a general air conditioner. The high performance filter 370 completely filters contaminants in the air. In order to obtain a high efficiency filtering effect, the filter has a volume as large as possible. To accommodate a large volume of high performance filter 370, the filter installation part 360, the grill mounting part 742 and a filter grill 740 are provided.

A control box 380 is formed in a predetermined size, and although not shown in the drawings, the control box 380 accommodates capacitors and control elements such as a circuit board for controlling the operation of the air conditioner. The whole operation of the air conditioner can be controlled by the control box 380 controls the entire operation of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 3.

The indoor heat exchanger 400 corresponds to a portion heat exchange occurs between a working fluid of a heat exchange cycle and air from a space to be air conditioned. Although not shown in the drawings, a tubular path through which working fluid is introduced or discharged may be formed.

The inflow guide 410 guides air which has been heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 400. At the inflow guide 410, a pair of through holes 412 correspond to the indoor fan installation grooves 314 of the lower air guide 310. Inside the air guide 300, the indoor fans 420 provide a driving force for air flow in the indoor unit side. In this embodiment, the configuration of the indoor fans 420 is such that one of the indoor fans 420 are disposed at a left side of the air guide 300 and another of the indoor fans 420 is disposed at right side of the air guide 300. To further illustrate, the indoor fans 420 are respectively located at the indoor fan installation grooves 314 formed at the left and right sides of the lower air guide 310.

Each fan motor 450 includes a central shaft 452 having a front end which inserts into the indoor fan 420. Additionally, the central shaft 452 has a rear end which inserts into the outdoor fan 460. Accordingly, the fan motor 450 simultaneously supplies a rotational driving force to both the indoor fan 420 and the outdoor fan 460. For example, the rotational shaft of the fan motor 450 extends in two directions, and the indoor fan 420 couples with one end and the outdoor fan 460 couples with the other end. Also, the fan motor 450 mounts directly on the rear surface of the air guide 300 or may be supported by a separate bracket.

In addition, a discharge passage guide means is formed inside the discharge passage 352 which guides discharged air.

In detail, the main function of the discharge passage guide means may be performed by a fluid passage guide plate 354. The fluid passage guide plate 354 is a rectangular plate that guides the flow of the air which is forcibly blown and introduced into the inside of the upper air guide 350. The fluid passage guide plate 354 guides the flow of air according to either the air conditioning function or air filtering function.

In detail, a front end of the fluid passage guide plate 354 is hinge-fixed to a lower front end of the filter installation part 360. Also, a stepping motor (see 356 of FIG. 8), which drives the fluid passage guide plate 354, is installed at a predetermined portion of the fixed portion. Thus, as the stepping motor (356 of FIG. 8) rotates according to an input, the rear end of the fluid passage guide plate 354 moves up and down to selectively shield the discharge passage 352.

In detail, the air introduced into the inside of the upper air guide 350 by the indoor fan 420 discharges (i.e., air conditioning function) through the discharge part 220 located at the front side of the discharge passage 352 according to an input. Alternatively, air introduced through an upper portion of the discharge passage 352 discharges (i.e., air cleaning function) upward via the high performance filter 370 where the discharge direction is determined by the fluid passage guide plate 354.

In more detail, if a forward rotation of a stepping motor 356 moves a rear end of the third passage guide plate 354 in an upward direction thereby leveling the same, the fluid passage guide plate 354 shields the lower portion of the filter installation part 360. As such, air forcibly discharged by the indoor fan 420 discharges in the front direction of the discharge passage 352. In this configuration, only the air conditioning function is performed.

On the other hand, rearward rotation of the stepping motor 356 moves the rear end of the fluid passage guide plate 354 in a downward direction, the rear end contacts the bottom of the discharge passage 352 and the front surface of the discharge passage 352 is shielded. Therefore, air which is forcibly blown by the indoor fan 420 discharges upward via the high performance filter 370. In this configuration, both the air cleaning function and the air conditioning function are performed.

Additionally, next, although not shown in the drawings, a vent hole may be formed at a predetermined portion of the air guide 300 and the inflow guide 410. Outer air selectively enters through the vent hole to vent the inner air. Accordingly, a damper is installed at a predetermined portion of the air guide 300, and is operated by a separate driving motor to open and close the vent hole.

Also, although not shown in the drawings, a vent tunnel for guiding outdoor air may be formed such that outer air is introduced through the vent hole. In more detail, a vent tunnel that guides rear air to a front side and allows introduction of the guided air into the vent hole may be formed below a brace (not shown) connecting between the upper end of the air guide 300 and the shroud 500.

In the integral type air conditioner according to the present invention, the construction of the outdoor unit part will now be described in detail.

At the left and right portions of the shroud 500, through holes 502 are respectively formed that correspond to the indoor fan installation grooves 314 of the air guide 300. Also, at an upper portion of the shroud 500, a guide bead 504 that guides condensed water guided by a ring 422 formed on an outer circumference of the outdoor fan 460 may be formed.

The ring 422 splashes condensed water staying in the lower portion thereby spraying the splashed water onto the outdoor heat exchanger 550. The operation of the ring 422 lowers the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 550 during a cooling operation thereby enhancing cooling efficiency.

The outdoor heat exchanger 550 discharges indoor heat to an exterior while the air conditioner operates in the cooling mode by heat exchange between the working fluid of a heat exchange cycle and exterior air.

The compressor 560 connects with the indoor heat exchanger 400 and the outdoor heat exchanger 550 by a tubular path to circulate refrigerant. In particular, the compressor 560 installs between the air guide 300 and the shroud 500. More particularly the compressor 560 resides between the air guide 300 and the shroud 500. Moreover, the compressor 560 is between the left fan motor 450 and the right fan motor 450. As such, the compressor 560 is located at the center of the outdoor unit part with respect to the left and right directions.

At the rear panel 600, a plurality of grill discharge outlets 610 through which inner air discharges are formed in the horizontal direction. To further illustrate, the grill discharge outlets 610 are made by forming a plurality of triangular protrusions on the rear panel and cutting away a furrow portion between the protrusions in a horizontal direction.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a front panel in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention.

The door opening/closing means will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the door opening/closing means may be an assembly which includes a motor installation part 242 fixed to a rear surface of the front panel 200 and a driving motor 244 installed a the rear surface of the motor installation part 242. The door opening/closing means also has a rotational shaft 246 to which a central shaft of the driving motor 244 extends, a rotational pinion 248 installed on the rotational shaft 246, and a rack with a gear engaged with a gear of the rotational pinion 248.

Also, the rack 232 is formed on and integrally with a rear surface of the discharge door 230 in a longitudinal direction. The rack 232 allows upward and downward movement of the discharge door 230 in accordance with rotation of the rotational pinion 248. More particularly, if the driving motor 244 is driven by an externally applied power source, the rotational pinion 248 interlocking with the driving motor 244 rotates and the discharge door 230 slides in an upward direction or a downward direction.

FIG. 6 illustrates the appearance of an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention. The construction and operation of a cabinet in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6.

A cabinet 700 covers all portions of the air conditioner except for a lower side portion/front and rear portions, thereby shielding elements of the air conditioner and forming air passages inside the air conditioner.

Specifically, the cabinet 700 has an installation guide part 710 formed at a predetermined position on an upper surface of the in a horizontal direction. The installation guide part 710 recesses in a downward direction as shown by a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the cabinet 700. The installation guide part 710 stably mounts the air conditioner along a window frame of a building. In addition, a curtain assembly or the like may be mounted on the installation guide part 710.

At rear portions of both side portions of the cabinet 700, a plurality of side intake holes 720 are formed through which air enters from side directions. At a rear portion of an upper portion of the cabinet 700, a plurality of upper intake holes 730 are selectively formed through which air enters from an upper direction.

Also, at the front edge of the upper portion of the cabinet 700, i.e., at the front side of the installation guide part 710, has a filter grill 740 which guides the discharge direction of air that has passed the high performance filter 370. The filter grill 740 corresponds to an upper surface of the high performance filter 370 mounted on the upper air guide 350. Thus, the air that has passed the high performance filter 370 may smoothly discharge to the outside. Also, since the high performance filter 370 is formed in a separate assembly, the high performance filter 370 may be detached and reattached to the air conditioner. The grill mounting part 742 on which the filter grill 740 is mounted is protrudedly and penetratedly formed at a predetermined portion of the upper surface of the cabinet 700. The filter grill 740 is mounted on the grill mounting part 742 from an upper direction. Accordingly, during cleaning of the filter grill 740, the filter grill 740 is lifted up, separated from the cabinet 700 and then cleaned. A handgrip 750 is formed at both side portions of the cabinet 700 for easy installation and movement.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an upper air guide in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a lower air guide in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention. FIG. 9 illustrates a flow of air guided by an air guide in an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention.

The operation of the air guide in the indoor unit part of the integral type air conditioner will now be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. On the base fan 100, the air guide 300 is installed which partitions the air conditioner into the indoor unit side and the outdoor unit side and guides air flow in the indoor unit side. The air guide 300 includes the lower air guide 310 and the upper air guide 350 located at an upper side relative to the lower air guide 310.

The lower air guide 310 includes a partitioning plate 316 which partitions the inside of the air conditioner into the indoor unit side and the outdoor unit side. The lower air guide 310 also has the left and right barrier 312 formed at a central portion in a longitudinal direction. The left and right barrier 312 partitions the front space into the left space and right space. Moreover, the lower air guide 310 includes side plates 318 formed at both edges of the partitioning plate 316 in the longitudinal direction of the partitioning plate 316, and an inner base plate 320 protrudes toward the front side at a lower portion of the partitioning plate 316.

More particularly, at the left and right portions of the lower air guide 310, i.e., at the partitioning plate 316, indoor fan installation portions in which the indoor fans 420 are respectively installed are provided. The indoor fan installation portions 314 correspond in size to the size of the indoor fans 420 as will be described below. The circumference of the indoor fan installation portions 314 protrude toward the front side by a predetermined length such that the indoor fans 420 are stably guided during their installation. Also, a center portion of each of the indoor fan installation portions 314 include a small-sized hole such that the rotational shaft of the motor passes through the indoor fan installation portion 314.

At a lower side of the lower air guide 310, the inner base plate 320 integrally forms with the lower air guide 310. Specifically, the inner base plate 320 bends vertically from the lower end of the lower air guide 310. Moreover, the lower air guide 310 extends along a front direction by a predetermined length thereby corresponding to the front portion of the base fan 100. The lower air guide 310 also fixes to the base fan 100.

The indoor heat exchanger 400 mounts on the inner base plate 320. At a center portion of the upper surface of the inner base plate 320, a condensed water passage 322 and the guide rib 321 which allows collection of the condensed into the condensed water passage 322 are formed. The condensed water passage 322 has the shape of a groove in the front and rear direction. The condensed water passage 322 guides introduction of condensed water generated in the indoor heat exchanger 400 into the rear side of the lower air guide 310.

A discharge passage 352 is formed inside the upper air guide 350. The discharge passage 352 guides air which induced from the indoor fan 420 and discharged, to the indoor discharge hole 220.

In detail, the discharge passage 352 extends from the rear end of the upper air guide 350 to the front side. The front end of the discharge passage 352 is formed such that the front discharge hole 351 corresponds to the indoor discharge hole 220 of the front panel 200. Also, on the upper surface of the upper air guide 350, i.e., on the upper surface of the discharge passage 352, an upper discharge hole 353 for discharging air upward is formed. Over the upper discharge hole 353, a filter installation part 360 is formed. The filter installation part 360 forms integrally with the upper air guide 350 in the shape of a rectangle of which upper and lower surfaces are open. On the lower inner circumference of the opened filter installation part 360, a filter mounting jaw 362 protruding inwardly and vertically from the lower inner circumference is formed. The bottom of the filter 370 mounts on the filter mounting jaw 362 such that the filter mounting jaw 362 supports the filter 370.

The filter 370 mounts on the filter installation part 360. The filter 370 filters foreign particles and smells contained in the air which is forcibly blown upward from the indoor fan 420.

A control box 380 is provided at the right side of the upper air guide 350. The control box 380 forms in a predetermined size, and, although not shown in the drawings, accommodates capacitors and control elements such as a circuit board such that the control box 380 controls the operation of the air conditioner. In one embodiment, the control box 380 may control the air conditioner.

The indoor heat exchanger 400 installs in front of the air guide 300. The indoor heat exchanger 400 corresponds to a portion where a heat exchange occurs between the working fluid of a heat exchange cycle and air from a space to be air conditioned.

An inflow guide 410 installs between the indoor heat exchanger 400 and the air guide 300. The inflow guide 410 guides air heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 400. At the inflow guide 410, a pair of through holes 412 are formed which correspond to the indoor fan installation grooves 314 of the lower air guide 310.

Inside the air guide 300, indoor fans 420 are installed which provide a driving force for air flow in the indoor unit side. The indoor fans 420 are formed such that one pair of the indoor fans 420 is at a left side of the air guide 300 and one pair of the indoor fans are formed at a right side of the air guide 300. To further illustrate, the indoor fans 420 are respectively located at the indoor fan installation grooves 314 formed at the left and right sides of the lower air guide 310.

Hereinafter, an operation of the inventive integral type air conditioner as constructed above will be described. It should be noted that the operation of the integral type air conditioner is described on the basis of an operation standard of a cooling model

FIGS. 10 and 11 schematically show longitudinal sectional views of an integral type air conditioner according to the present invention. In the above drawings, it should be noted that only main parts are shown in order to describe the operation of the air conditioner.

Specifically, FIG. 10 shows an operation when an air cleaning function is not performed, and FIG. 11 shows an operation when the air cleaning function is performed.

When the air conditioner operates, the left and right fan motors 450 operate thereby allowing rotation of the left indoor fan 420 and the right indoor fan 460. Additionally, the compressor (referring to a reference numeral 560 of FIG. 4) operates thereby allowing circulation of the work fluid through the heat exchange cycle. In this embodiment, the indoor fan 420 uses the centrifugal fan so as to effectively use the indoor space, and the outdoor fan 460 uses an axial fan so as to increase the wind amount.

The driving of the indoor fan 420 respectively provided at the left and right sides causes inhalation of indoor air through the front inhaling part 210 and into through the indoor heat exchanger 400. In this embodiment, the centrifugal fan of the indoor fan 420 may be used. In addition, in one embodiment the indoor fan 420 may be a turbo fan thereby increasing a wind amount.

The air guide 300 guides air discharged in the circumference direction of the indoor fan 420. Additionally, during air purifying operations, the air guide 300 guides a discharge direction of the air.

First, the operation of the air conditioner when air cleaning does not occur will be described. When air is discharged toward the front through the discharge passage, rotation of the stepping motor causes movement of the rear end of the passage guide plate 354 in an upward direction to when the rear end of the passage guide plate 354 moves upwardly, the front of the discharge passage 352 opens and a bottom surface of the filter mounting part 360 closes.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, air forcibly blown by the indoor fan 420 does not flow into the high performance filter 370. Instead, in this embodiment, all the air discharges to the front via the discharge passage 352 through the discharge part 220. In this embodiment, the discharge door 230 moves in a downward direction thereby opening the discharge part 220. The solid line arrow depicts the operation states of the discharge door 230 and the passage guide plate 354. Additionally, the block arrow depicts airflow when the air purifying function is not performed.

The operation of the air conditioner during air purification will now be described. In order to clean the air discharged to the space to be air conditioned, the stepping motor 356 moves the rear end of the passage guide plate 354 in a downward direction. Thus, the passage guide plate 354 shields the discharge passage 352 such that air forcibly blown from the indoor fan 420 inflows into the lower surface of the filter mounting part 360 as shown in FIG. 11.

The air introduced into the inner space of the filter mounting part 360 from the bottom is purified as the air passes through the high performance filter 370. The purified air then discharges to the top through the filter grill 740. In this embodiment, the discharge door 230 moves to the top as shown, thereby shielding the discharge part 220 since the air does not discharge to the front through the discharge passage 352.

When discharged air passes through the high performance filter 370, the foreign substances in the air are filtered such that air supplied to a space being air conditioned is cleaner. Accordingly, since the air supplied into the air condition space is cleaned and cooled, the present invention promotes a more favorable environment.

As the outdoor fan 460 drives, the outdoor fan 460 causes inhalation of outdoor air into the air conditioner. More specifically, the rotation of the outdoor fan 460 causes an inflow of external air into the air conditioner through both the side intake hole 720 and the upper intake hole 730 of the cabinet 700. The shroud 500 guides the air flowing into the air conditioner such that the outdoor fan 460 intakes the air. Additionally, the air discharged to the rear by the outdoor fan 460 is heat-exchanged with the work fluid of the heat exchange cycle while passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 550. Furthermore, heat from the work fluid transfers to the discharge air discharged outdoors.

In addition, air introduced into the inside of the air conditioner has a low temperature in the room temperature state. The air enters the inside through an outer circumference of the compressor 560. Thus, the air lowers a temperature of the compressor 560.

The fan motor 450 couples at a rear surface of the lower air guide 310 with a separate bracket (not shown). However, it should be noted that the fan motor 350 may couple with the lower air guide 310 in other ways. For example, the fan motor 450 may couple directly with the air guide 300. More specifically, in addition to the driving shaft of the fan motor 450, the body of the fan motor 450 may be inserted into the lower air guide 310 and mounted.

Also, a picture frame may be installed at a front surface of the front panel 200 thereby enhancing the appearance of the integral type air conditioner. Further, a flat display panel, such as a LCD monitor, a PDP panel or the like may be formed at a vacant space on the front surface of the front panel 200 for use as an electronic picture, a monitor, a television or the like.

Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the compressor maybe installed at the center portion of the integral type air conditioner thereby facilitating movement of the air conditioner. As previously discussed, in one embodiment of the present invention, the compressor 56 is disposed between each of the outdoor fans 460. However, the compressor 56 may be placed in any location of the outdoor portion of the air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that this alternative configuration does not affect heat exchange efficiency.

In an embodiment where a plurality of fans and motors are installed, the air guide structure according to the present invention guides an airflow without any loss of a wind amount.

Further, the ability to adjust an airflow in a plurality of directions in accordance with the present invention increases the convenience of an air conditioner.

Specifically, the air guide of the present invention simultaneously embodies both the air cleaning function and the air purifying function.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. An air guide structure for an integral type air conditioner, comprising: a lower air guide provided with a plurality of indoor fan receiving parts for receiving an indoor fan and a side plate formed at both ends of the lower air guide which guide air; and an upper air guide which selectively guides air discharged from the lower air guide to a plurality of paths.
 2. The air guide structure according to claim 1, further comprising an inflow guide formed in front of the lower air guide which guides an air flow.
 3. The air guide structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of indoor fan receiving parts comprise a pair of indoor fans receiving parts formed at the lower air guide.
 4. The air guide structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper air guide has an upper discharge hole which guides and discharges air in an upward direction.
 5. The air guide structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper air guide has a front discharge hole which guides and discharges air in a front direction.
 6. The air guide structure according to claim 1, wherein a filter is formed in at least one of the discharge paths of the upper air guide.
 7. The air guide structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower air guide comprises left and right barriers formed at a center portion which prevents interaction between the a plurality of indoor fans.
 8. The air guide structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower air guide comprises a condensed water outlet formed below the lower air guide.
 9. An integral type air conditioner comprising: a compressor; an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger which exchanges heat between a working fluid circulated by the compressor and an external air; a fan which forcibly generates air flow in the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger; a motor which provides a rotational force to rotate the fan; a cabinet forming an appearance of the air conditioner; a lower air guide including a partitioning plate which partitions the air conditioner into an indoor part and an outdoor part, and the lower air guide having left and right barriers longitudinally formed on at least one place of a front surface of the partitioning plate in up and down directions; and an upper air guide which guides air discharged from the lower air guide to an outdoor place.
 10. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the lower air guide comprises an inner base plate extending in a front direction on which the indoor heat exchanger is mounted.
 11. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 9, further comprising a condensed water passage extending from a lower side of the lower air guide to a front side which guides condensed water generated from the heat exchanger toward an outdoor place.
 12. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the lower air guide comprises two indoor fans installed at left and right sides thereof.
 13. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein in the lower air guide, air is discharged in an upward direction.
 14. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 9, further comprising an inner base plate provided with a guide rib extending from a lower portion of the lower air guide and allowing condensed water to be collected.
 15. An integral type air conditioner comprising: a compressor; an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger which exchange heat between a working fluid circulated by the compressor and an external air; fans which forcibly generate air flow in the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger; a motor which provides a rotational force to rotate the fans; a cabinet forming an appearance of the air conditioner; a front panel disposed in front of the cabinet and a discharge hole through which air is discharged into an indoor space; a discharge door which opens and closes the discharge hole; a door opening/closing assembly which allows the discharge door to be opened or closed; a lower air guide including a partitioning plate partitioning the air conditioner into an indoor unit part and an outdoor unit part, and left and right barriers formed long in upward and downward directions at at least one portion of a front portion of the partitioning plate, for suppressing interaction of air flow due to the fans; and an upper air guide for guiding the air discharged from the lower air guide in at least two directions.
 16. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the upper air guide comprises a front discharge hole through which air is discharged in a front direction and an upper discharge hole through which air is discharged in the upward direction.
 17. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the upper air guide comprises a filter formed on at least one path.
 18. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the upper air guide comprises a filter installation part which is protrudedly formed to mount a filter.
 19. The integral type air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the door opening/closing assembly comprises: a driving motor disposed at a fixed portion of the front panel which generates a rotational force; a rotational shaft to which a central shaft of the driving motor extends; a pinion installed on the rotational shaft; and a rack driven in mesh with the pinion and fixed to the discharge door. 